It’s not surprising that tech-native firms see the wealth management industry’s high margins and sticky revenue, even with its notoriously disjointed and sometimes subpar tech stacks, and think, “Good business. But it could be better.” 

At the recent WealthManagement EDGE conference in Boca Raton, Fla., David Armstrong, director of editorial strategy and operations for the Wealth Management Group at Informa Connect, spoke with Taylor Matthews, co-founder and CEO of Farther, to explore how the firm is seeking to improve the advisor experience and increase the operational efficiency of wealth management firms with home-built technology. 

Backed by a handful of well-known venture capitalists, Farther is a “tech-forward” RIA where the user experience improvements are as much for the advisor’s benefit as it is for the client: The goal was to create workflow efficiencies for advisors that translate into increased time spent with more clients than is found at a typical RIA. 

Taylor outlines how Farther also supports advisors with built-in marketing, lead generation and operational support. The conversation touches on the firm’s philosophy, use of AI, Taylor’s thoughts on the business investment environment for RIAs, and what the future may hold for his team’s firm.

David and Taylor discuss:

• How Farther’s technology was built from the ground up to solve daily inefficiencies that advisors face with disconnected tech stacks
• Why returning time to advisors is central to Farther’s strategy, enabling them to focus more on client work and growth
• The four-part growth engine at Farther, including done-for-you marketing and lead generation
• How Farther’s internal teams support advisors in areas like estate planning, tax consulting and financial planning
• The firm’s long-term approach to growth without the constraints of private equity and why consolidation is reshaping the industry.

Resources:

• Listen to the RIA Edge Podcast on WealthManagement.com
• Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Apple Podcasts
• Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Spotify

Connect With David Armstrong:

• WealthManagement.com
• LinkedIn: WealthManagment.com
• LinkedIn: David Armstrong
• Twitter: David Armstrong
• LinkedIn: Informa

Connect With Taylor Matthews:

• Website: Farther Finance
• LinkedIn: Farther Finance
• LinkedIn: Taylor Matthews

About Our Guest:

Taylor leads Farther’s executive team and shapes the overarching strategy for the firm. Prior to founding Farther, Taylor was a member of the leadership team at ForUsAll, where he helped build the fintech retirement advisory firm from $25 million in assets under management to just under $1 billion in his two years there.

Taylor previously co-founded Essmart, a social enterprise distributing tech-for-development products in India, and was an investment banker and management consultant in his early career. He graduated from MIT Sloan with an MBA and Yale with degrees in philosophy and political science.

Taylor lives in San Francisco with his wife, three children, and a very excitable dog. As Victor Hugo wrote, “There is nothing like a dream to create the future.”

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